I found a really interesting data set from a Guardian Data Blog article about which schools sent the highest proportion of kids to Russell Group Universities.I've used this to create an interactive dashboard that you can use to compare schools in different Local Authorities. This has helped myself and my wife compare schools to help us decide which order to put them on our CAF forms.

The data is from last year's full D of E results, so does not include this year's figures.

I do wonder though, as the figures can only reflect the percentage of those who were successful and who actually applied - not everyone wants to go to Oxbridge or indeed a Russell Group university. The figures would only give you a good reflection of your chances (?) of getting in if everyone applied to the same universities, and they don't.

Just so you know, the table at the bottom is ordered by the % of students that went to ANY University and shows the numbers that went to any Uni.If you hover over any particular school, you can see the number of A-Level students, compared to the number that went on to Uni, and then Oxbridge or Russell Group.

Great idea....but I looked at a couple of schools, and the numbers on the table at the bottom didn't appear to my (stupid) brain to agree to the numbers in the top table....

The school my son is at while it is great till GCSE, falls down a lot on the 6th form....however he will probably still stay there as the alternatives (6th form colleges) do not appear very attractive to me. Our local one is outstanding and achieves great results, however what these tables do not show is the number kicked out after y12 as they are not likely to achieve what is expected of them, or so it seems. Actually often kids have a terrible year 12 and yet turn it around in y13, and need to go to establishments that will not turn their back on them if that happens, but actually tries to help them.

Hello,I absolutely agree that there are many factors that can be used to judge a school's success, and this is simply a quantitative way to do this. It is, by no means, a comprehensive comparison. I hope it will help to answer the specific question on the success of a school in sending pupils to (what I consider, I must admit) a top university.

With regards to the numbers, the table gives the background number of pupils, whereas the chart gives percentages. If you hover over an individual school in the chart, you will get a summary of the background numbers.

What I wanted to do was not just show the percentage, but the actual numbers of pupils, but this is too confusing to try and do in a single chart.

If you are still finding a mismatch, please give me an example so that I can verify if there is an error in the report.

Just to add, that I think the confusion with the table and the chart is that the table is default ordered by the % of pupils that go on to ANY university as opposed to Oxbridge.You can change the sort order simply by clicking on the correct column title.

With regards to the numbers, the table gives the background number of pupils, whereas the chart gives percentages. If you hover over an individual school in the chart, you will get a summary of the background numbers.

We look at Barnet, Enfield and Hertfordshire for the schools that we are in (selective) areas for.For my son sitting exams this year, (if he gets through) I think we are going to put QE Boys, Latymer, DAO, then Mill Hill in that order.

The decision was based partly on results but also other aspects of the schools - ethos, culture, realising the potential of the child etc.

For all our children our decisions have been influenced by the personalities of our children and which school we thought would suit them the most, even over exam results where the schools are quite evenly matched.

Jean.Brodie wrote:

Thanks for this, miniwheels70!

I notice you are in N London. Which schools have you decided upon, in which order and why?

In 2009, on the Barnet Form we put down Henrietta Barnett, then Latymer, then four non-selectives for which we lived way outside of the catchment area.

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